Berry Bars and Bling
Remy
A Just Playing for Keeps Bonus Epilogue
Remy
I may not design romance for a living anymore, but today I am one hundred percent romance ready. I survey the living room one last time, making sure everything’s in place. The music is cued on my phone, ready to play when Lake walks through the door. In front of me is the berry bar, with five different types of berries lined up along the counter, in pops of red, scarlet, crimson and blue. The champagne is resting in an ice bucket, the golden glow of the sunset gleaming through the window and reflecting in the stainless steel. Then there’s the bowl of granola—milk free, of course. No one wants soggy cereal—and glistening on top…a simple silver chain, with a hummingbird engraved on the clasp.
After all, I may not like surprises. But I know my man does, and he’s going to enjoy this gift for our one-year anniversary.
Or I think he will. If he ever gets home from walking Katrina.
I check my watch for the time, as if that might make him appear faster. Katrina’s usually only interested in a short stroll around the block, not a forty-minute marathon, but perhaps today she could sense the excitement in the air. Maybe she was doing me a solid, distracting Lake so I could have all the time I needed to set the mood, light the candle (check), and ensure I was wearing my favorite off-the-shoulder sweater.
Finally, after what feels like an agonizingly long wait, the door swings open and four tiny legs scuttle into the room.
“Hey, little lady,” I say as Katrina rushes over to me to greet me. But wait—the door’s closed again. No Lake.
That’s strange.
Curious, and a little intrigued, I walk toward the front door. Lake and I had plans to spend the afternoon together with a late nap at our new home here in the city before his game tonight on the one-year anniversary of the fateful fox toss. It’s not like him to miss a scheduled sleep, but maybe he’s taking off his shoes or snapping a photo of a particularly beautiful hummingbird in our feeder.
And if that’s what he’s doing, what better time to give him this gift?
Just in case he is, I grab the bowl of granola from the bench then head back to the door and turn the handle. I step outside, and—
My breath catches in my throat.
Fairy lights hang from the porch, casting the tiny yard in a golden glow. Flowers are everywhere—a bouquet in a vase on the table, vines wrapped around an arch, rose petals scattered over the grass floor. A new daybed is in one corner of the porch, the perfect place for an afternoon nap. And there, in the middle of it all, is Lake, his eyes on me.
Only for me.
Only ever for me.
“You look beautiful,” Lake says, his voice a deep rasp as he steps closer.
“Thank you.” I smile and walk across the grass to him, melting into his embrace before pulling back to look at the fairy garden he’s made of our little home. “This is…wow.”
“You like it?” he asks.
“I love it.” I press a quick kiss to his lips, and this is seriously lovely, the amazing effort he’s gone to in celebrating our anniversary. I thrust the bowl of granola toward him. “I got you this.”
“Cereal?” A bemused smile lights his face, and then his gaze snags on the chain. He picks it up, his eyes lingering on the hummingbird clasp. “I love it, Remy.”
“I know you don’t wear watches, so maybe it won’t be your thing. And obviously you can’t wear jewelry when you play. But I—”
“Remy, I love it,” Lake repeats, placing the bowl on the ground and the chain around his wrist. “Thank you.”
“Happy anniversary,” I say, warmth flooding me at the genuine appreciation in his tone.
“I got you something too,” he says, and tucks his finger under my chin, tilting my face up toward his own. “The moment I met you, I started falling, and I haven’t stopped loving you since. You’re funny, kind, clever, and the sexiest woman I’ve ever known. This last year with you has been the best of my life, and I want to spend the rest of my life eating breakfast with you, traveling with you, having you and lavishing you with gifts.”
“I won’t complain about that.” I try for a joke, but tears prick my eyes. Oh, god. I think this is really happening this time. It’s happening to me, with the man I love more than anyone I’ve loved before.
“Remy Hatmaker, who hates hats, and loves animals, and loves…me,” Lake says, his voice gruff as he drops to one knee, one hand still clutching mine. “Will you marry me?”
I don’t need to think. Don’t need to plan the perfect response, because there’s only one thing to say. “Yes! Yes, yes, yes!”
Lake stands and scoops me into his arms, and our lips collide in a kiss that’s fierce with love and longing.
When he pulls back and sets me on my feet, I’m breathless from the kiss, the proposal, and just…him. The man I’m going to spend forever with.
Lake takes a ring box from his pocket and clicks it open…but it’s not just a ring inside. There’s a folded square of paper covering the jewelry. “What’s this?”
“It’s a note for you. But first, let’s put this on.” He takes the paper in one hand and slides out the most gorgeous engagement ring, with a turquoise stone that shimmers under the fairy lights.
“It’s the color of a hummingbird.” My voice catches as he slips the ring onto my finger and places the paper in my hand.
And as a hummingbird lands in the feeder overhead, I twine my fingers together with those of the man I love and begin to read the note.
Five more things to do before we say I do…
Eager for more spicy hockey romantic comedies? You’ll love Corbin’s and Mabel’s brother’s best friend, workplace romance Just Breaking the Rules, FREE in KU!
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